Undercarriage and body of railway vehicles and in platform to be used therewith wherever a break of gauge occurs



Aug. 21, 1923.

D. OIDONNELL RAILWA E. UNDERCARRIAGE AND BODY OF 1' VEHICLES AND IN PLATFORM TO BE USED THEREWITH WHEREVER A BREAK OF GUAGE OCCURS V Flled Nov. 27. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 21, 1923.

UNDERCARRIAGE AND BODY OF 25 ZAIOJOQ x ORM TO BE USED RS Aug. 21, 1923.

' E. D. O'DONNELL 'UNDERCARRIAGE AND BODY OF RAILWAY VEHICLES AND IN PLATF' THEREWITH WHEREVER A BREAK 0F GUAGE OCCU Filed NOV. 27 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 21, 1923.

EUGENE DUDLEY ODONNELL, or GLEN ,INNESQAUSTRALIA.

UNDEncARR-I eeii AND BODY or BAILVIIAY vnnrctns AND IN PLATFORM-E0 E UsnnTHnaEwrm-rwnnnnvna A eanenorceuen oocmes; H

Application filed November 27, 1922 Serial 110,603,668

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE DUDLEY ODONNELL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Glen Innes, in the State of New South Vales and Commonwealth of Australia, have invented improvements in the undercarriages and bodies of railway vehicles and in platforms to be used therewith wherever a break of gauge occurs, ofwhich the following is a specifica tion. 7 j

The object of this invention is to so construct thcunder-carriages and bodies of railway vehicles, whether used for passengers, live 'stoclt,:or goods, as that, when such vehicles-reacha point on their journey where the narrow gauge line ends, and the broad gauge line commences, or vice versa, the bodies, with the aid of specially constructed platformsone on either side ofthe permanent way, which, as usual, carries two parallel sets of rails of different gauge, may be easily and quickly disconnected from their undercarriages, automatically raised therefrom, and held in such raised position on rails laid on said platforms. Then the bodies havebeen raised onto said platforms, their undercarriagcs are run back on to the 7 line over which they have travelled,,. and

other under-carriages adapted to run on a different gauge are backed in underneath the'bodies. The bodies and the substituted undercarriages are subsequently automatic ally connected togethen when the journey is resumed on' a broader "or narrower, gauge, as the case may be, 7

Referring to the three sheets of drawings hereto annexed, in which my invention is shown applied to a railway truck for the conveyance of goodsi' Figure 1 a plan view of the undercarriage of'a truck, which"undercarriage is con-. structed according to my invention and adapted to be automatically connectedto and disconnected from the body of a railway truck constructed according to my invention; Figure 2Lis aside elevation of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end elevation of Figure2; .Figure at is a side elevation'of one of the parallel platforms each of which is constructedwith an inclineateach end, theroad bed and sleepers thereon between the platforms beingsh'own in section;

in Figures 1,2, and 8,

F igure {Sis a sectionalrendlelevation of the two parallel platforms, the permanent, way

which includes two sets of rails of different gauge being also shown in section;

F igure 6 is a side elevationof the body of a railway truck embodying my improvements' and adapted to be automatically con-- nected to and disconnected from'the undercarriage" illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3;

Flguref? 1s a part sectional end elevation of Figure 6 on the line A-B Figure 8 is an underneath planview of the lustrated in Figures fi and7;

bottom of the body of the railway truck'il- Figure 9 is a sectional side elevation of a 7 cylinder containing a piston, piston rod, and spr1ng,.the lower end of the piston rod being connected to a horizontal bar forming a por- 7 tion of a vertical bar, the use of which will be herelnafter explained;

Figure 10 is a sectional end elevation of the two parallel platforms showing the body of the trucl; disconnected from its under} to carriage, the body being in its raised positlon, and supported by small wheels carried y a square axle beneaththejbody, .which* wheels engage with rails laidin recesses one on eitherv of the inner sides of the parallel platforms; a

' Figure 11 is a'sectionalside elevation of one 'of' the parallel platforms showing the, 7

position of the body of thetruck in'relation to its undercarriage, when the front wheels of the body reach the top' of theinclined- I portion of the said parallel platforms Figure 12 is a plan view of the parallel platforms with two sets ofrails of different gauge laid between them, the tapered ends of the paths for the locking pin illustrated being indicated by dottedlines.- U V v Referringenowmore particularly to Fig ures 1, 2, andB, which illustrate anlunde rcarriage for a railwaytruck constructed according to my invention, l is the rectangular frameoftheunde 'carriageQof airail way truck. 3 are its wheel's andt the axles which carry said wheelsLf5 are spring-buf fers. '6 are square slots inthe upper sidesof said rectangular frame for the purpose of receiving. square axles attached to the ,underneathporti'on of the removable body if the' truck 7 are locking pins preject horizontally outwards from the undercarriage 2 about midway of its length, the inner end of said pins, as shown more particularly in Figure 3, being bent at right angles and connected at its lower end to a horizontal operating rod 8, the outer end of which projects beyond the outer end of the pin, said outer end of'the rod 8 being fitted with a spring 9; 10 are cylinders at each end of the undercarriage of the truck, each cylinder containing a piston 11, the piston rod 1]. of each piston being fitted with a coiled spring 12. The lower end of each of these piston rods extends below its cylinder 10 and is connected by means of a horizontal extension 13 with a. vertical bar 14 capable of an up and down movement within a oasing 15. These bars, when'in their normal position, extend vertically above and outside either end of the undercarriage, and, when in that position, engage with the respective ends of. the body of the truck. 16

f is a main pipe for the conveyance ofcompressed air from any suitable air compressoron the locomotive. 17 are branch pipes for conveying compressed air from said main pipe 16 to the top of the cylinders 10. 18

- is a turncoclr, and 19 is a handle foroperating it, when it is desired to cut off the supply of compressed air t the'cylinders 10 of. one or more trucks, to enable them to be shunted. 7

Referring now more particularly to Fig I ures 6, 7, and 8 of the drawings, which illustrate the body of a railway truck construct ed accordinn to my invention, 20 are square axles, one at either end, and beneath the bottom of the body of said truck, and which axles, when said body is in position on the undercarriage, illustrated in Figures 1, 2,

and 8,- lie snugly in slots 6 in the upper sides Ofthe rectangular frame of said undercarriage. 21 are small flanged wheels on each end of said square axlesand which wheels,

' as shown in Figure 7, project beyond the sides of the body of the truck. 22 are an gle irons underneath the body of the truck, and which extend parallel to each of its sidesand for the full length thereof. 23 are holes in said angle irons to receive the locking pins 7 on the undercarriage of the truck, which locking pins, when in engagement with said holes, lock the body to the undercarriage and prevent any side movement of the body.f 2fare brake blocks (pivoted at 25) for the small wheels 21, which brake blocks are only operated when the bodies'of I the trucks or other vehicles have been disconnected from and raised'above their under carriages, and the; small wheels of the bodiesrare supported on the rails on the platforms previously referred'to.

' Referring now to Figures 4, 5, 10, 11, and

12,0f the drawings, 26 are the parallel platforms between which railway vehicles constructed according to my invention are run, in order to effect the disconnection of the bodies from their undercarriages and the subsequent transference of the bodies to rails laid in recesses along the top of the said parallel platforms. 26 arethe parallel platforms and 27 are inclines at each end thereof. 28 are recesses which commence at the beginning of one incline, extend along the whole length of the horizontal portion of the platform and terminate at the end of the other incline. 29 are the" rails laid in said recesses 28. 3O are-clamps for applying the brake blocks 2% to the smallfianged wheels 21 when the said bodies are on the rails of the parallel platforms 26. These clamps which are connected to the said platforms by hinges 31 pivoted at 32 to the said platforms can be operated either by a lever, (not shown) from the platform or direct from the signal box, in orderto cause said clamp to force the pivoted brake. blocks 24 on to the wheels 21 and so hold the bodies in position on the rails on the horizontal portions of the platforms 26. 33 are the narrow gauge lines and 34 the broad gauge from the holes 23 in said angle irons 22,'

and so effect the unlocking of the body of the truck from its undercarriage.

When a train of trucksrconstructed'ac' cording to my invention enters between the inclined ends 27 at one end of the platforms 26, the outer ends of the horizontal operating rods 8 of the first truck come in con tact with the tapered ends 36 of the metal plates 35 on the sides of each platform, causing a compression of the springs -9'on the operating rods 8, and, at the same time, gradually withdrawing the locking pins 7 from engagement with the. holes 23 on the angle irons 22 underneath the body of the truck. When the withdrawal of the looking pins 7 has been completely,effectechthe body of the truck is disconnected from its 1 This operation isv effected q undercarriage. with every succeeding truck, and, as the train of trucks passes on betweenthe platforms 26, the small flanged wheels 21 of the body of the first and-every succeeding truck engage with that portionof the rails 29,1aid on the inclines 27 of the parallel platforms 26. As the small wheels 2101? the body of the truclr 't'rav'elup said in U clines, the square axle 20 at the front 'of truck, a11d whichaxle carries-:the said small wheels 21, radually rises clearof the slots Ell D Gin the uppersides'of the rectangular:;'frame' 1 of the undercarriage2 of-the bodyfand by the time the front wheels-21 of the; truck reach thetop of the inclined portions of the platforms, the axles which carry said wheels are, as shown in Figure 11, entirely clear of the slots 6 with which they previously engaged. By the time the rear wheels 21 of the truck reach the same point, their axle is also clear of the slots 6 in which it rested, with the result that the .body of the truck is supported by said small wheels 21 on the rails 27 extending along'the horizontal portion of the parallel platforms 26, while the undercarriage 2 of the truck remains on the rails over which it has travelled. On the undercarriage being pulled forward by the locomotive, the vertical bars 14, which extend vertically above and outside either end of the undercarriage, and which are in contact with the front andback of the body of the truck, cause the body of the truck to travel on its wheels 21 along.

through main pipe 16 and branch pipes 17 to the top of the cylinders 10, thus depressing the piston 11 in each of said cylinders, and thereby causing each piston rod 11 to pull down the vertical bar 13 connected thereto suiliciently far to cause saidba-r to be clear of the body 2 of the truck. The undercarriages are'then. pushed backon the line over which they have travelled, and

other undercarriages constructed according to my invention, whose vertical bars 13 have been depressed, and which undercarriages are adapted to travel on a different gauge,

are backed in underneath the bodies of the trucks still standing on the rails 27. The compressed air supplied through the main pipe 16 and branch pipes 17 to the cylinders 10 is then allowed to escape to the atmosphere. thereby permitting the coiled springs 12 to expand, and thus allowing the vertical bars 13 to return to their normal position. as regards the truck which constitutes the rear truck of the train that the vertical bars 13 of its undercarriage are in contact with the back of its body. The position of the vertical bars on the other undercarriages as regards'the bodies is immaterial,

as, on the locomotiveattached to the undercarriages moving forward, those vertical bars which may be underneath the body of the truck adjust themselves automatically Care must be taken to ascertain I in position duringthe forward movement; of.

the-unclercarriage-, thereof, .jwhen-it is. in

the; act of: travelling along the platform;

During the? passage of the trucks between the inclines at the other end 6f the parallel platforms26, thee lockingrpins-i aregforced outwards by the expansion .oftth'e springsr9 and caused-to engage again with the holes 23in the angle irons 22 underneath the body of the truck and so look both body and undercarriage together. 1 V

I claim 1. Inundercarriages for railway vehicles,

a cylinder at each end thereof, a piston within said cylinder, a piston rod fitted with a coiled spring, the lower end of said piston rod extending through the bottom of said .7

cylinder, a vertical bar parallel with said cylinder and horizontally extending abovethe top of said undercarriage and capable:

of an up and down movement within a casing, a horizontal extension from'the bottonof said vertical bar, said ho-rizontal extension at its outer endbeing connected to the bottom of said piston rod, a main pipe for the conveyance of compressed air, branch pipes for conveying said compressed air from the main pipe through branch pipes to the top of said cylinders, to operate said piston and its appurtenant parts, looking pins projecting horizontally-from each side of the undercarriage, and slots in the upper sides of the rectangular frame of the undercarriage, as and for the purpose described and as illustrated in the drawings.

2. In bodies of railway vehicles adapted to be used in conjunction with undercarriages as claimed in claim 1, square axles one at either end and beneath the said body, said axles being adapted to liesnugly in slots in the upper sides of the rectangular frame of the undercarriage, angle irons underneath the body of the truck and which extend parallel to eachv of its sides and for; the full length thereof, and holes in said angle irons to receive the locking pins which project horizontally fromthe sides ofth undercarriage 7 V 3. In bodies of used in conjunction with the undercarriage said platforms having an incline at each end, and each platform carrying a railwith which the small wheels of the body of the railway vehicle engage as and when required. l i V v 5. Parallel platformsfor use with railway vehicles constructed as claimed in railway vehicles to be claimed in claim 1, the combination with I the subject matter of the preceding claim,

iscf

claim 2, said platforms having an incline at each end, and each carrying a rail with which the small wheels of the body of the railway vehicle engage as and when re- 5 quired.

6. The combination with the parallel platforms claimed in claim 5 of the clamps 

